townsend



W. S. TOWNSEND.

DISPENSING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED-JULY1.1920.

1,373,686. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEET-SHEET I.

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w. s. TOWNSEND.

DISPENSING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1.1920.

v1 37 3 Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

17306731.- Wm. 51 1 owns end,

UNITED STATES ATENT EFFIQE.

DISPENSING-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed July 1, 1920. Serial No. 393,279.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. TOWN- SEND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Dispensing-Tanks, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dispensing tanks of the vacuum or suction-filledtype.

The objects of the invention are to provide a novel and efiicient meansfor preventing the return of the outgoing fluid, such as gasolene, tothe dispensing tank in case the outlet valve thereof should be openedprior to the closing of the suction and the breaking of the vacuum inthe tank; to prevent air, at such time entering the dispensing tankthrough its outlet pipe in a suficient quantity to displace the liquidtherein and cause its return through the supply pipe back to the storagetank; to prevent at such time the register-operating float from beingacted upon by any air or liquid flowing back through the fluid dischargepipe or outlet; to provide a simple form of check and stop orcompressionvalve in the tank-outlet at the lower end of the floatchamber; said valve upon back pressure of air or fluid or bothautomatically closing the fluid outlet and disconnecting the clutchconnecting the float with the registering mechanism and holding theoutlet closed and the clutch disconnected until the vacuum in the tankis broken or atmospheric pressure restored.

These objects I accomplish by the construction shown in the accompanyingdrawing in which Figure 1 shows a sectional side elevation of awell-known type of gasolene dispensing tank provided with a registeringmechanism and having my improvement applied and Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional view to better show my improved valve mechanism.

The glass dispensing tank 1, has a vertically sliding inlet pipe 2through which the gasolene flows into the tank till the level of theupper end of the pipe 2 is reached when the surplus will flow back tothe underground storage tank, not shown. The gasolene is caused to flowup through pipe 2, which may be set for any desired quantity, by meansof a suction pipe 3 which tends to create a vacuum in the tank 1. The

fiow will continue until the suction pump,

not shown, is stopped and the vacuum broken through the vent valve 4.

At one side of the tank 1, is supported a tube 5 forming a chamber for afloat 6; the lower end of the tube or chamber 5 having a lateral inlet'6, communicating with the lower end of the glass tank 1, so that thegasolene as it fills the tank will cause a corresponding rise in thetube or chamber 5 and the upward movement of the float 6. A by-pass 7connects the upper ends of the tank 1 and the tube or chamber 5. Thefloat 6 actuates a spiral shaft 8 and this in turn actuates a suitableregistering mechanism 9. The spiral shaft 8 is provided at its upper endwith a clutch member 10, above and normally disconnected from anunderlying clutch member 11 secured to or forming part of a bevel gear12 meshing with a second bevel gear 13 mounted on a shaft 14 providedwith a pinion 15 meshing with a second pinion 16 on a shaft 17 providedat its outer end with a pointer 18 in operative relation to a dial 19. Aglass pane 2O incloses the dial and a hinged lid or cover 21 covers thepane and dial. These parts are mounted in or carried by a housing 22 atthe upper end of the float tube or chamber 5. In this above describedprior construction an outlet compression valve opens'downwardly from theoutlet 6 in the center of the bottom of the float chamber 5 and upon theupper face of the valve head rests the lower end of the spiral shaft 8so that when the valve is raised to its closed position the outlet willbe closed and the spiral shaft 8 will be lifted to raise its clutchmember 10 from engagement with the gear actuating clutch member 11. Whenthe outlet valve is lowered by means of its screw spindle 26 to permitthe gasoleue to flow from the tank and the float chamber into the outletchamber 27 and discharge nipple 28, the spiral shaft will be lowered andits clutch member 10 will engage the clutch member 11. At this time thefloat 6 will descend with the falling column of gasolene and so rotatethe spiral shaft which in turn will actuate the registering mechanism.

With this prior construction should the outlet valve be turned down oropened prior to the stopping of the suction pump and the breaking of thevacuum in the tank 1, by one seeking to defraud the purchaser, it ismanifest that some of the outgoing gasolene wouldbe forced back throughthe discharge 28 into the tank 1 and be returned through pipe 2 to thestorage tank not shown. Moreover large quantities of air would rush intothe tank 1 and displace the gasolene which would run back through pipe2. During this reverse flow the rogis ter would be worked by the floatirregularly as the return impulses past the valve would strike the lowerend of the cork float and cause it to reversely rotate the spiral shaftor interrupt its proper action.

lVit-h my improvement applied the apparatus functions very efficientlyand smoothly and all chance of short measuring or selling is obviated.

My improvement on the above described prior construction consists inproviding a. valve head 25 having a vertical, sliding closing movementindependent or the valve stem 26; not a mere swiveled connection but afree and independent vertical sliding closing movement, so that as thevalve stem 26 is screwed up or down the valve will be moved accordinglybut when the operator moves the valve stem down to open the valve priorto stopping of the suction pump and the breaking of the vacuum in thetank 1, so as to endeavor to defraud a purchaser, the valve head 25 willleave the stem and instantly stop the outlet'opening and so remain untilthe suction through pipe 3 ceases and the vacuum is broken. At the sameinstant, the valvein closing the outlet 6 or in holding it closed, willlift the spiral shatt 8, and so throw or hold the registering mech anismout of gear. In so closing or remaining closed the valve 25 will permitthe gasolene in the tank to come to a state of quiescence so that thepurchaser may see what he is getting. Should the valve lower to openposition when its stem is turned down and then an inrush of air startthrough the discharge pipe the valve will instantly close and unclutchthe registering mechanism. The valve 25 has a guide stem 29 slidingfreely on the socket formed in the upper end of the valve spindle 26.

Theresults obtained by my improvement may be briefly stated as follows:

1. Engagement of the registering mechanism is prevented as long as avacuum exists in the dispensing tank;

2. Air is prevented from entering the container through its outlet(thereby displacing gasolene which causes short measure) so long asthere is a vacuum in the said tank;

3. Gasolene cannot be drawn back into the tank through thedischargeoutlet and hose connected thereto;

4. The valve closes automatically when a vacuum exists in the tank andopens when the vacuum is broken;

The possibility of an operator using the apparatus to defraud thecustomer by opening the valve when a Vtttlllllll exists is entirelyobviated;

6. A more even and uniform operation of the mechanism as a whole isfound to exist.

i i hat I claim is:

1. The combination with a dispensing tank provided with an air exhaustor suction means and a fluid inlet or supply means, and an outlet, of avertically mo *ablc valve closing i'ipwurdly over said outlet and avalve stem movable toward and from the valve to hold it closed whenmoved up and permit it to ai'itomatically close or remain closed whenmoved downwardly away therefrom; whereby when the alvc stem is turned toopen the valve prior to the closing of the suction and breaking of thevacuum in the tank, the valve will remain closed or will fly to closedposition upon a. reverse flow through said outlet.

2. The combination with a. dispensing tank provided with an air exhaustand a variable inlet or supply means, of a float actuated registeringmechanism having the lower end of its float chamber communicating withthe lower end of the tank and provided with a discharge opening in itsbottom, a spiral float actuated shaft with its lower end registeringwith said discharge opening, a registering mechanism at the upper end ofthe float Chamber, vertically separable clutch members connecting theupper end of the spiral shaft with the registering mechanism, anupwardly closing valve for said discharge opening and upon which reststhe lower end of the said spiral shaft, and a valve stem separate andindependent of the valve to permit the latter to have independentclosing movement to close the discharge and disconnect the clutchmembers in the event of a reverse flow through said outlet.

3. The combination with a suction or vacuum filled tank provided with aninlet for the fluid and a discharge opening therefor, of a combinedcheck and compression valve; closing said discharge opening in thepresence of a vacuum in the tank indcpcndcntly of its oporati on as acompression valve.

4. The combination. with a suction or vacuum filled tank provided withav discharge opening at its lower end and a vertically adjustablefilling and overflow tube, of a valve closing upwardly over saiddischarge outlet and provided with an operating stem for normallyopening and closing it; the valve being capable of" independent closingmovement to act as a check valve should its stem be moved to the openingposition prior to the operation of the suction filling and prior to thebreaking of the vacuum in the tank.

5. The combination with a suction or vacuum filled tank provided with adischarge opening at its lower end anda vertically adjustable fillingand overflow tube, of a valve closing upwardly over said dischargeoutlet and provided with an operat-' ing stem for normally opening andclosing it; the valve being capable of independent closing movement toact as a check valve should its stem be moved to the opening positionprior to the operation of the suction filling and prior to the breakingof the vacuum in the tank, and a registering mechanism for the tankprovided with a clutch and connections between one of the clutch membersand the valve for the purpose described.

6. The combination with a float chamber having an inlet and an outlet atits lower end, a dial and pointer at its upper portion, a gear foroperating the pointer and a clutch member connected to said gear, avertically movable spiral shaft having a clutch member on its upper endabove the first-named clutch member and a float to rotate the spiralshaft, of an upwardly sliding valve to seat upwardly over said outlet, astem for positively raising the valve and a sliding connection betweenthe valve and its stem to permit independent movement of the valve.

7. The combination with a dispensing tank having a vented suction pipeand a vertically adjustable inlet and overflow pipe for the admission ofpredetermined quantities of liquid, of means for controlling the passageof fluid through the outlet, said means including means forautomatically preventing a return flow past the valve during theexistence of a vacuum in the tank.

8. The combination with a suction or vacuum-filled tank having an outletor discharge, of means for controlling the passage through said outlet,said means including means for automatically closing said outlet ordischarge in the presence of a vacuum in the tank.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM S. TOWNSEND.

